Water skiffs



M. J AEG E R WATER SKIFFS Aug. 1, 1961 Filed April 15, 1959 INVENTOR. MICHAEL JAEGER 2,994,095 WATER SKIFFS Michael Jaeger, Milwaukee, Wis. (4925 Menard Drive, Hales Corners, Wis.) Filed Apr. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 806,578 1 Claim. (Cl. 9--1) My invention relates to water skiifs, and more particularly to a skitf supported by a plurality of pontoons for transporting a person across the surface of a body of water.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with aquatic sports such as surf-board riding, water skiing, or the like, that it is desirable that the participant in these water sports derive the benefit of the water by submerging therein.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a skiff consisting of a skeleton like and relatively open frame, supported by pontoons, and equipped with a seat to permit the occupant to manually propel the device along the surface of the water, while permitting the occupant to be partially or substantially entirely submerged in the water during manipulation of the skid.

A further object is to provide such a device that may be propelled easily by means of oars, paddles, or with the hands or legs of the occupant.

The skiff described and illustrated herein may be used for riding the surf or may be used on relatively quiet waters. It is easy to fabricate, may be constructed of lightweight material for ease in transport thereof, accommodates large or small riders, is highly stable in the water to afford a high degree of safety, and is so formed as to accommodate different riding styles as well as different forms of propulsion thereof.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent in the course of the following specification when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the assembled device;

FIG. 2 is a top or plan view of the device shown in FIGURE 1, and showing in phantom a pair of oars mounted on the frame;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device shown in FIGURE 1',

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the frame structure, illustrating the manner in which the seat may be slidably supported; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section view showing the manner in which the pontoons are mounted.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in referring specifically now to the same, the character shows generally a skeleton like and relatively open frame structure consisting of a pair of longitudinal members 11 and 11 defined by tubes or rails extending parallel and in spaced relation to one another. Members 11 and 11' are supported at their forward end by cross members 12 and 12' extending transversely to the members 11 and 11 and spaced apart from one another. Similar cross members 14 and 14' support the rearward end of the rails 11 and 11'.

The members 12 and 12' are attached to the forward end of the longitudinal rails 11 and 11 at 15 by means of rivets or bolts, or in any other practical manner, and act as a support for a pontoon 16, the upper surface of which is attached at 17 to the members 12 and 12, while the members 14 and 14, which are attached to the rearward ends of the rails 11 and 11' at 18, act as supports for a pair of pontoons shown as 19 and 19', the upper surfaces of which are attached to the members 14 and 14 as designated at 20 in any practical manner. The pontoons 19 and 19' are laterally spaced from and positioned on opposite sides of the frame members 11 and 11'.

Pontoons 16, 19 and 19' are shown in detail in FIG.

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5, and are constructed of any type of buoyant material such as coated fibre glass, cork, or the like. They may be constructed of inflated plastic or rubber material, the buoyancy thereof being such as to keep the entire skilf floating on the surface of the water while supporting an occupant thereon.

By referring to FIG. 5, it will be noted that the body of the pontoon shown as 16 is equipped with a top plate 21 and a bottom plate 22 which may be longitudinally recessed as shown in FIG. 5 to minimize drag. This structure is identical with the pontoons 19 and 19' atthe rearward end of the body 10. The pontoons preferably have a pointed forward portion with a rearwardly diverging shape, as seen in the plan View.

In FIG. 2, I show, in phantom, a pair of oars 23 and 23, pivotally mounted to the frame 10 at 24, and pro vided with conventional fins 25 hinged at 26 at their outwardly extending ends. I also show handles 27 disposed on the shaft of the oars 23 and 23'; however, the propelling means is not a part of my invention inasmuch as any conventional paddles or oars of any type may be employed.

A foot rest 28 depends from the frame and is attached at 29 to the rails 11 and 11' to act as a support for the occupant of the seat shown as 30. Seat 30 is suspended from the rails and is slidably supported by the rails 11 and 11'. This seat 30 is constructed of fabric or any other suitable sheet material with the ends thereof formed into tubular sections, as at 31 and 31', and surrounding the outer surface of the rails 11 and 11.

The seat thus has a generally U-shape with the transverse portion thereof positioned below the frame. The seat is easily adjusted longitudinally of the frame as by sliding movement thereof to accommodate the desires of the rider. This sliding movement of the seat not only accommodates different sizes of riders, but also may be used to vary the riding characteristics of the skiff, since adjustment thereof in fore and aft directions will cause a variance in the extent of submergence of the front and rear pontoons. Adjustment of the seat forwardly tends to lower the front of the skiff, while movement to the rear tends to raise the front of the skilf.

While the rider may sit in the seat and propel the skiif with his hands or oars or the like, the skiff is so formed as to enable the rider to lie prone upon the seat and propel the skiff through leg movement. In this latter event, the open nature of the frame permits such horizontal disposition of the rider.

Whether sitting upright or lying prone, the rider is at least partially submerged. With this submergence, the skiff has a low center of gravity which enhances the stability thereof for safety of the rider.

Whereas, I have shown and described an operative form of my invention, it should be understood that this showing and description thereof is to be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatical sense only. There are many modifications of the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claim.

I claim:

A water skiff including a pair of spaced elongated and generally parallel rails, a pair of spaced and generally parallel rails extending transversely to said first named rails and fixed thereto at the rearward portion thereof, a pair of supporting pontoons fixed to the ends of the said transversely extending rails and located on each side of said elongated pair of rails, a supporting pontoon con nected to the forward portions of said elongated rails, each such pontoon having a pointed forward portion with a rearwardly diverging shape, said rails being connected 3. to the upper portions of each of said pontoons, a foot rest fixed to said elongated rails and positioned behind said forward pontoon and depending therefrom, and a sheet of flexible material having ends of tubular formation in sliding engagement with said elongated rails to thereby provide a riding support, said ends of said sheet material being positioned rearwardly of said foot rest and forwardly of said transversely extending rails, and being in sliding engagement with said elongated rails for adjustment longitudinally of said elongated rails between said foot rest and said transversely extending rails thereby providing accommodation for difierent sizes of riders, as well as providing a variance in the general riding plane of said skitf relative to a supporting body of water, said sheet material extending downwardly from said tubular ends in a U-shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,567,555 Straussler Dec. 29, 1925 1,639,607 Henry Aug. 16, 1927 2,205,050 Sato June 18, 1940 2,814,057 Burns NOV. 26, 1957 10 2,958,306 Haxton et al Nov. 1, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,449 Great Britain Sept. 6, 1937 

